Rail Education – The Next Generation

The RTAA has made some gains in this area, particularly in Perth via a networking event. It included working closely with the University of Western Australia’s Young Engineers club to provide an event that would be of interest to engineering students, but also focused on the rail industry. This breakfast event was very successful with rail industry interviewing several of the students for internships and employment post event. The RTAA will look to replicate this across major cities with equivalent University Clubs.

Over and above this, the Business Manager has been in contact with The Rail Manufacturing Corporate Research Centre. They partner with Universities and industry to innovate, research and develop opportunities within rail. They have 30 students that they would like to find rail mentors for, which aligns with our grass roots knowledge strategy. I believe this is an excellent opportunity for the RTAA to promote rail to the next generation.

In NSW the industry has seen a fantastic win with the Launch of the new Advanced Diploma in Rail Track Engineering course by Transport for NSW and Engineers Australia. This new course is set to help build capability in our industry by acting as a stepping stone for those with experience, but no formal qualifications and more importantly as a gateway for those new to the industry. The RTAA fully supports this initiative, with the President Thomas Kerr already volunteering as a mentor.